The Labor enquirer., 1887-04-16

SATURDAY, AP
and the cry comes down the wind, and
their feet are marching on.r s.
~
A great strike against reduction of
12H per cent began amongst the North
cumberland miners at the end of January
and is still in full vigor. Our oomrade,
]. L. Mahon, who has been making q prop
agandist tour amongst the branches Of
the Socialist League in England, and has
also been organizing new branches in va
rious parts, is at present with the miners,
teaching them the only way in which to
permanently do away with reduction of
wages. He intends to stay there several
weeks, as there is every likelihood of a
| protracted meeting, for both sides are re-
solved to win. He is at present working
in conjunction with John Williams of the
Social Democratic Federation,
~
In future letter will let you know
more of the progress of the movement
amongst the miners in Northumberland.
Now briefly will mention few events of
interest to the workers and which will
serve to show how the fight between capi-
talism and labor is proceeding. The feel
ing of solidarity amongst the workers is
being manifested by the mixers in all
other districts of Britain giving their SYM
pathy and material support to their
brethren in the North of England.
~
The people of Ireland are beginning to
see that after all mere change in the
form of government is not. all that is
wanted, and that under home rule or alien
rule poverty and luxury are necessary ad-
juncts of the society of to-day. A branch
of the Socialist League has been at work
in Dublin for some slime. past and its
efforts have of course been directed to
turning the mind of the workers toward
the social and economical situation rather
than to purely political matters. Two or
three mass meetings have been held re-
Gently at which bedrock, scientific
speeches have been made and received
with earnest attention.
~
On the four Wednesday evenings of Feb
ruary was held sglebate on the question
as Soc ',liAm S,,a.dgn the affirmative side
being uoheld by one OF the most talented
womer in England, Mrs. Annie Besant.
Her opponent, @. W. Foote, was evidently
laborisg under too exalted an opinion of
bis o Npowers of debate when he took
,npoi into prove the negatsls the art
of b nboozling his adversary by all tie
quip and quirks Imaginable being prac
tices by him in default OF any serious
kno sledge of the matter, under discussion.
He imply INDUCED in frivolous objec-
tio' s sand ignored altogether Annie Resant's
exposition of the historic and eSientitc
basis of Socialism There csn -sssNlitils
doubt that Mrs. Besant's advocacy of our
Cause is doing much to bring over the
more intellectual section of the free
thought party of which she has SO long
been distinguished leader.
w
The capitalist papers to-day contain
two paragraphs interesting not only in
themselves, but for the manner in which
each side is treated. They both are items
of news from Russia. The first is a re-
ported attempt to assassinate the czar on
Sunday. A cry of horror arises from the
plutocracy; the stock exchange is agitated;
money is depressed: policy of merciless
repression is to be pursued against those
odious Nihilists; society (so-called) is
completely upset.
***
And what is said about the other little
item of newsf Nothing! Its importance
is so small; only few hundred inmates of
a Russian prison rebelling against the bad
food served out to them and as answer to
their remonstrance they we're fired on by
the military guard, with the result that
twenty were killed and large number
wounded. Nobody has time to think of a
trivial affair like this, however; all the at
tention is concentrated on the base at
tempt to take the life of man who has
been in his position as head OF most rot
ten system, guilty of more murders than
would have satisfied dozen Neros.
Nv
Laurence Gronlund, author of "The Co.
Operative Commonwealth" has returned
to England from Paris, and is lecturing
for the Socialist League and other Social
lst bodies on continental and Chrntlan
Socialism," Socialism in the United
States" "The Prospects of Socialism in
Great Britain" and other subjects. He is
writing a series of articles on Economics
of Socialism" in the Christian Socidlist,
which has this year come into the hands Of
new editors and is likely to be of far
greater service to the Cause than it has
been during last year.
EUGENE TKssDALE.
CONSOLIDATION PLATFORM.
From the Chicago Enquirer, Jr.